Florida Senate Rules Committee: Call to an Article V Amendment Convention.

Florida Senate ^

[Jacquerie]

The Rules Committee of the Florida Senate will take up SM476 this coming Thursday, March 20th at 10:30 AM.

SM476 is an application to Congress for an Article V state amendment convention:

Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

(1) That the Legislature of the State of Florida does hereby make application to Congress pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United States to call an Article V convention for the sole purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States which:

(a) Impose fiscal restraints on the Federal Government.
(b) Limit the power and jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
(c) Limit the terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress.

(2) That these three proposed amendment categories are severable from one another and may be counted individually toward the required two-thirds number of applications made by the state legislatures for the calling of an Article V convention.

Rules Committee:

Chair: Senator John Thrasher (R)
Vice Chair: Senator Christopher L. Smith (D)

Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto (R)
Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R)
Senator Bill Galvano (R)
Senator Andy Gardiner (R)
Senator Jack Latvala (R)
Senator Tom Lee (R)
Senator Gwen Margolis (D)
Senator Bill Montford (D)
Senator Joe Negron (R)
Senator Garrett Richter (R)
Senator Jeremy Ring (D)
Senator David Simmons (R)
Senator Eleanor Sobel (D)

[Jacquerie]

Florida Freepers, don't sit back. All should contact the chairman, and other committee members if they are your senators.

[Jacquerie]

Article V ping!

[Jacquerie]

I posted only a portion of the senate resolution. View its entirety at the link.

[Repeal The 17th]

WOO HOO!

[nathanbedford]

I am fully in support of the Article V movement.

However, I am aware of the obstructionist history of the Congress frustrating attempts to invoke the Article V amendment process. If they can find distinctions in the wording or discrepancies of any sort a Congress led by speaker Boehner is very likely not to call a convention claiming that the threshold of two thirds of the states has not been reached.

My question is, is there coordination among the active state legislature wars to ensure that the wording and subject matter of the applications for the convention are identical? Is there a vehicle to accomplish this?

[Repeal The 17th]

Not sure, but I think the language was discussed and agreed upon at the Mt. Vernon planning session last year. -
Georgia:
The General Assembly of the State of Georgia hereby applies to Congress,
under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution of the United States,
for the calling of a convention of the states limited to proposing amendments
to the United States Constitution that
impose fiscal restraints on the federal government,
limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government,
and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.
-
Florida:
The Legislature of the State of Florida does hereby make application to Congress
pursuant to Article V of the Constitution of the United States
to call an Article V convention for the sole purpose of proposing amendments
to the Constitution of the United States which:
Impose fiscal restraints on the Federal Government.
Limit the power and jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
Limit the terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress..
That these three proposed amendment categories are severable from one another
and may be counted individually toward the required two-thirds number of applications
made by the state legislatures for the calling of an Article V convention.
-

[nathanbedford]

Thanks for that.

Is there a website that has been set up to act as a clearinghouse for this sort of information?

[Repeal The 17th]

The only one that I am aware of is this one:
http://conventionofstates.com/

[Jacquerie]

ConventionofStates.com.

COS asked their state volunteers to submit the COS application, available at the website, to their state reps. That is why the FL and GA language is identical. I emailed the communications director at COS a little while ago, and asked how many states are looking at the COS application. We should find out today.

[nathanbedford]

Thanks again.

[ripnbang]

Forgive my lateness to the party and my naiveté with regard to an Art V COS...but isn’t this dangerous? Sort of like opening Pandora’s box? How can this be guaranteed to only address the issues that are listed? How can we be sure that other important things (like the Bill of Rights)can’t be changed, watered down, etc. I’m concerned this is a vehicle to change the intent from a Constitution that provides protection of rights received from our Creator to rights given and guaranteed by the government...which we all know is a disaster. I am all for restricting the power and reach of the federal government, and returning to founding principles and strengthening States’ rights, but want to be sure this is the best way to do so.

[hondact200]

Why is it that the Southern States are taking the lead on Article V Amendment Convention? Must be the issue of states rights is still alive in the South, yet the North is stuck in the belief that centralized government is a solution. Look what is happening in the North, more and more northern states are failing because of the Unions are killing them. Yet Wisconsin under Walker busted the Union. Yes Michigan became a Right to Work state overcoming union domination, but it is still struggling with what the powerful unions did to it. Look at GM, millions will be spent on recalls. Chrysler as owned by Fiat, is too having recalls on the Fiat 500. Ford’s presence in Michigan is there but not as strong as it use to be.

Here in the UP of MI Ford had a significant plant for the production of the wood products for the automobiles, Byproduct was Kingsford charcoal, and he developed an airport in Kingsford. Hey Ford even had his own sawmill in Alberta, MI. Okay so it was in the late 50s for the UP of Michigan.

Chrysler was here in the UP too. The Coleman plant in Iron River went away in the 80s.

But look at Illinois, the bastion of liberalism and political corruption. This state is ready to fold just like California.

Oklahoma I understand has rejected the Article V Amendment for a Convention.

[napscoordinator]

I think the ones calling for this want to see the right to free speech, right to bare arms, to be either watered down or taken away. What a great way to add in marriage equality for all while they are at it. I don’t know if these folks are naive or just stupid. We are walking into a very dangerous land mind if they do this. Liberals are very excited seeing these folks calling for this. It will completely change America as we know it.

[Rich21IE]

Article V Ping

[DaveA37]

I think as many others do. This needs to be pushed and pushed hard. They could add a few things (like their having to live under the same laws they themselves pass, Term limits for all, no more pensions for life, etc.)

Not to sound negative but like all other attempts to amend the constitution in a CONSTRUCTIVE way, it too will more than likely find its way to the trash barrel. Nice try Florida! “A” for effort

[Jacquerie]

Please take the time to consider what the Left has done since the 16th and 17th amendments to our beloved constitution and society these past hundred years.

Beginning with those two, and without going through the legitimate amendment process, the constitution has been transformed from a liberty securing document and into a political Frankenstein, a monster of oppression. Unwritten amendments from Scotus and written ones in the form of executive orders have repealed whole swaths of most Articles.

Take a stroll through the Bill of Rights. Pause at each clause. By my reckoning, the only clauses still in full effect deal with quartering troops in private homes and our right to defense counsel. The 2A is under continuous attack, and it exists as a practical matter only because of gun rights groups.

My ultimate point is the limits and rules of the printed constitution are for practical purposes nonexistent.

The Left’s victory is nearly complete. Daily Kos and my rat state senator oppose an Article V state amendment convention because they know they can only lose. Patriots have nothing to lose at a state amendment convention. This convention is our last remaining peaceful means to restore freedom. It is certainly no guarantee.

We are no longer a self-governing people, perhaps with the exception of Article V. It still exists; it is our last remaining hope to restore freedom.

[Rome2000]

No

[C210N]

Forgive my lateness to the party and my naiveté...

That is forgiven. Your concerns are, and should be everyone's concerns, before and initially ramping up on the COS. It is my understanding now that all 50 states have some level of organizing for a COS. Read up on it, start with Article V itself, go to conventionofstates.com web site, read various legislature's bills to allay concerns, read FR threads, and so on. Find your states chapter of the convention of states, they typically have a website and/or facebook page, meetings and gatherings.

Be aware of folks that put this down knowing little. The tipoff is they insert the term "con-con" right in the first sentence. This is NOT a Constitutional Convention; it is an alternate method to propose amendments to limit the federal government's power, and do so outside the auspices of the federal govt, but rather by states themselves. One vote one state. The ratification method of these amendments, the same as any source for an amendment, is one main safety firewall that should help alleviate many concerns. 13 states can kill ANY amendment coming out of COS.

[Rome2000]

Another brilliant post

Just how high is your IQ?

[Rich21IE]

I pinged to save for future reference. I’m in Texas and want to see how/if it progresses in Texas.

We can only hope.